Knee arthroplasty: a cross-sectional study assessing energy expenditure and activity

Background: What has been missing from current assessment tools post knee arthroplasty is a means by which a patient's mobility and activity levels can be objectively measured over time in a real world setting. The Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (Minisun, Fresno, USA) (IDEEA) is one such device that meets these criteria. It quantifies activity by measuring energy expenditure and records the type of activity performed. The purposes of this study were to (i) determine if there were differences in energy expenditure in different groups of patients at various time points pre‐ and post‐surgery and (ii) determine the correlations between energy expenditure and each of the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Oxford and Tegner scoring systems. Methods: Sixty‐five total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients were recruited into a cross‐sectional study to collect energy expenditure and activity data using the IDEEA. Data were collected preoperatively and post‐operatively at 6‐week, 3‐month, 6‐month and 12‐month time intervals. Results: Energy expenditure and type of activity did not significantly change over the five recording periods. The patients spent